Prithvi Shaw: 7 Fast Facts before International Debut

August 24, 2018

If you aren’t an ardent follower of Indian domestic cricket, chances are high that you haven’t seen much of Prithvi Shaw, apart from his not-up-to-the-mark performances at IPL 2018. However, it’s high time now that you know more about him, provided the fact that he may make his International Test debut any time soon.

Given below are a few facts about this aggressive batsman that not only Indians but all cricket fans across the globe should know:

Humble Beginnings

As a kid, Prithvi Shaw used to travel 3 hours daily from his home in Virar, a town on the outskirts of Mumbai, to Churchgate for his training sessions. However, his hectic travelling routine didn’t last too long as his family soon got a home in Santacruz. (More on this in point 3)

Family

Shaw was a mere 4 years of age when his mother passed away. His father, Pankaj, who ran a clothing business, had a tough time raising him, bestowing young Shaw with the love of both a father and a mother.

The Sachin Tendulkar Connexion!

Of late, Sachin Tendulkar has been very vocal about his love for Prithvi Shaw’s batting style (his stance and grip), so much so that the Little Master had even advised the boy to report to him if any of the young lad’s coaches ask him to change the way he bats.

Interestingly, the year Sachin Tendulkar hit his first ODI double century – 2010 – Prithvi was offered a contract worth INR 3,00,000 by a sports management company owned and run by former Indian cricketer Nilesh Kulkarni, making it possible for Prithvi Shawand his father to move into a flat in Santacruz (Mumbai).

Well, this doesn’t end here. If one goes a little further into the past, he/she would see that Shaw was born on November 9, 1999, just one day after the Master Blaster hit a mammoth 186* against the kiwis, an accolade that remained unbeaten form almost the following decade!

Face-to-Face with English Conditions

In 2012, Shaw was chosen for a 3-month course at the Cheadle Hulme School in Manchester, where, despite tough English conditions, he managed to score 1446 runs, at an average of 85, and took 68 wickets!

Breakthrough

Prithvi first made headlines in 2013 when — as a 14 year old ‘novice’ — he hit a record 546 off 300 balls for the Rizvi Springfield school in the Under-16 school tournament in Mumbai.

First-Class Debut

Prithvi Shaw made his long-awaited first-class debut in the January 2018 semi-finals of Ranji Trophy, wherein playing for Mumbai, he scored a century against Tamil Nadu and clinched the Man of the Match Award!

Following in the footsteps of the ‘god of cricket’…

Prithvi Shaw, at the age of 17 years and 320 days, became only the second youngest batsman after, of course, Sachin Tendulkar to score a century in the history of Duleep Trophy and what made this accolade more special was the fact it was his debut game!

Do you think that this young lad can live up to the hype surrounding him, once he makes his International debut? Tell you what you think in the comments section below!